Tracing History in Fredericksburg

Jeffrey Rozwadowski

Visit George Washington’s childhood home in the Virginia countryside.

Travel + Leisure

May 11, 2012

Fredericksburg was the childhood hometown of the first U.S. president and still has charming colonial flavor. Travelers will find cherished historic landmarks, warm taverns, and beautiful parks on both sides of the winding Shenandoah River that cuts through the center of town.

Richard Johnston Inn

Sleep in lace-canopied beds under wood-beamed ceilings (in some rooms) in this 18th-century redbrick house; wake up to housemade pastries.

George Washington's Ferry Farm

Follow in George Washington’s footsteps with a visit to the grounds where his boyhood home once stood.

Kenmore

Visit the grand plantation home of George Washington's sister Betty, just across the Rappahannock River from Ferry Farms, Washington's boyhood home. (One $11 ticket lets you visit both sites.)

Bistro Bethem

Sidewalk tables and a long, railroad-style dining room give this eatery a continental flair; book a table for two and lunch on artisanal cheeses and garlicky mussels.

La Petite Auberge

Early birds get a deal, a candlelit boîte with reduced prices for prix fixe dinners of classic French cuisine before 7 p.m. But no matter when you book, you won’t forget top dishes such as the seared Chesapeake Bay rockfish.